Private George William Irons (1882-1917)

Service No: 1307311^th Battalion the King’s Liverpool Regiment

George William Irons was born in Castle Bromwich on 15^th March 1882 and was baptised at St Mary and St Margaret Church on 7^th May of the same year. He was the fourth of eighteen children born to Charles Irons and Lizzie White. In 1881 the family were living on The Green, Castle Bromwich and by 1901 George had started working as a printer. By 1911 he had taken the decision to leave home and was living with his sister Sarah Martha and her husband Jesse Talbot in Saltley.

After the outbreak of war George enlisted with the army. He joined in Liverpool and first entered the Theatre of War on 15^th May 1915 with the 11^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment. He landed in France on 30^th May 1915.The Battalion is known to have fought in the Battle of Hooge in June of that year, which the doubtful honour of being the first division to be attacked by flamethrowers. They were also in action during the second attack on Bellewarde. Before becoming embroiled in the Battle of the Somme and seeing action in the Battles of Deville Wood and Fleurs-Couralette.

George died on 29th January 1917. He is buried at Hazebrouke Communal Cemetery, Hazebrouk, Nord Pas de Calais, France.  He is also remembered on the Castle Bromwich War Memorial and on a plaque inside St Mary and St Margaret Church. He was the second of three brothers from Castle Bromwich to die in the war.